A Letter from Mirasol's Founder and CEO
 Dear Friends,
It seems like such a long time since I've had a chance to write to you all! We've had quite a time here in Arizona. The heat has been most interesting these past few weeks, actually going up to 110° one day.
People ask me how I survive in the desert heat, and I tell them that it can be quite nice. One of my favorite things is to go out early in the morning with my dogs for an hour or so. The world looks so clean and shiny at 5:30 am. And best of all are the desert smells!
The heat brings the monsoon rains, and the rain releases the wonderful scent of the desert all around us. These clean, sharp smells remind me of the aromatherapy that we do at Mirasol.
When I designed the Mirasol program, I wanted to include modalities and exercises that would help people wake up all parts of themselves! Recovery means being alive and being aware of everything around us. We do this by using all of our senses, including the sense of smell.
In this issue of the Sunflower, we'll talk about aromatherapy and how it can play an important role in healing the body, mind and spirit.
Warmly,
Jeanne Rust, PhD
Aromatherapy is the practice of using volatile plant oils, including essential oils, to achieve psychological and physical well-being. These oils enter our bodies through the olfactory system and affect the nervous system, improving mood and helping us feel relaxed or energized. They can also alleviate stress and speed up the healing process. The aroma of the natural essential oil stimulates the brain, while the natural constituents (naturally occurring chemicals) in the oil are drawn into the lungs, with additional physical benefits.
Essential oils also have cosmetic properties that can be used in skin and hair care products. Many of these oils have anti-viral, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well. They can be inhaled, massaged onto your body, added to the bath or shower or sprayed in the room. During both World Wars, the Australian army included tea tree oil in the soldiers' first aid kits because it was so effective in healing blisters, rashes and burns.
Read more about aromatherapy 
Fragrant Rice Pilaf
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½ small onion, thinly sliced
½ garlic clove, thinly chopped
½" piece of fresh ginger root, finely chopped
½ tbsp. sesame oil
½ tsp. butter
1 C long grain rice
1" stick of cinnamon, broken in little pieces
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½ tsp. ground coriander
2¼ C hot water
½ tsp. salt
¼ C currants
¼ C almonds
1½ tbsp. sesame seeds
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Heat the sesame oil and the butter in a medium-sized sauté pan and sauté onion, garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, until the onion begins to turn golden brown.
Add the rice, cinnamon stick pieces and coriander and continue stirring over heat for a few minutes. Stir in hot water, salt and currants. Cover, lower the heat and let rice simmer very gently for 25 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the pan uncovered for another 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with fork.
While the rice is cooking, spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast them in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes. They should release a delightful fragrance and have a very light golden brown color when broken. Let them cool and then chop them coarsely. Toast the sesame seeds for a few minutes in a little pan on the stovetop, stirring vigilantly, until they start to turn golden brown.
To serve, pile the rice pilaf on a platter and sprinkle it with chopped almonds and sesame seeds. Garnish platter with cilantro.
Serves 4 |
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